Russian dandelion seed harvester



P M A R M R RUSSIAN DANDELION SEED HARVESTER 5l ShetS-Shee't 1 Filed Aug. 2, 1946 ATTOMEY R. M. RAMP RUSSIAN DANDELION SEED gARvEsTEn 5 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Aug. 2, 1,946

INVENTOR ATTORNEY R. M. 'RAMP V 2,46@ RUSSIAN' DANDELION SEED HARVESTER Filed Aug. 2, 1946 5 suelas-sheet 3 Gla n o l I Q w Q E g E L mi n n u n u n INVENTOR V RMRAMP ATTORNEY R. M. RAMP Maw RUSSIAN DANDEEION SEED HARVESTER mvENToR RMRAMP BY v ATTORNEY Jan. 25, 949.

Filed Aug. 2, 1946 R. M. RAMP RUSSIAN DADELION SEED HARVESTER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 BNVENWR RMRAMP Patented Jan. 25, 1949 z,46o,o29 v RUSSIAN DANDELIoN SEED HARVESTER Russell M. Ramp, United States of Houma, La., assigner -to the America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture Application August 2, 1946, Serial No. 687,861 2 Claims. (Cl. 56-19) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 3'0, 1928; 31o o. G. 757) This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended by the act of April 30, 1928, and the invention herein described, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention ing seeds. It -is especially designed to provide a, multi-row machineto harvest Russian dandelion seed, which is uiy, like the native dandelion seed. It can be employed to harvest other lightweight seed having like characteristics, sowed in rows or broadcast.

An object of this invention is to provide chine which, as it travels along the rows, the seed from the seed heads and draws the seed against a wire screen.

A further object is to provide ameans for a mawhisks whisking the seed from the seed heads comprising two rotary brushes placed adjacent each other, or in actual contact, the upper brush rotating counterclockwise, and the lower brush clockwise.

A still further object is to provide a. screen disposed adjacent the brushes and against which the seeds are projected by the brushes and through which screen a seed propellant air current is drawn by fans or other means.

A still further object is to dispose said screen at an acute angle to the air current, so that as the seeds accumulate on the screen down to the lower end of the screen by the air current and collect below the screen.

The following description, considered together with the accompanying drawings, will more fully disclose this invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical, longitudinal view partly in section.

Figure 2 is a vertical front view illustrating the two rotary brushes.

Figure 3 is a plan view showing the means for moving the driven wheels, the fans, and the rotary brushes,

Figure 4 is a side elevation.

Figure 5 is a rear elevation.

Turning to Figure 1, it may be seen that the machine comprises a, housing I Within which are mounted, from the front to the rear, a large brush 2, a smaller brush 3, a screen 4 adjacent the brushes and set at angle of about 23 deg-rees with respect to the air ow, a seed compartment 5 to catch the seeds, and two fans 6 to draw an air current from the brushes to and through the screen and to expel the air rearwardly.

projects and they are worked chain The housing I, which may be of plywood, is mounted on three wheels. The front two wheels 1 are drivers motivated by a ve horsepower engine 8 (Fig. 3) supported on top of the housing. A single rear or guiding castor wheel 9 is controlled by an automobile type steering wheel III. The engine 8 is connected through a clutch and a flexible coupling |I to a worm gear speed reducer I2. From the speed reducer are driven two fans 6 at the rear, through the flexible coupling I3, the drive shaft I4, and a conventional fan pulley |4| and fan belt |42 shown in Figures 4 and 5. The brushes 2 and 3 are driven through the flexible coupling I5, drive shaft I6, Sprocket I1, and I8. Chain I8 runs over upper brush sprocket |8|, under idler |82, and over lower brush sprocket |83. Sprockets |8| and |83 are xed on the ends of the brushes, which are rotatably mounted in conventional fashion in the sides of the housing. The right drive wheel is driven through sprocket I9, chain20, difierential 2|, Short shaft 22, sprocket pinion 23, chain 24, and sprocket 25. The left wheel is driven through dierential 2 I, long shaft 26, sprocket 21, and a, chain and main sprocket, as with the right wheel.

The seed drawers 28 within maybe one or more in number. Two may be provided, and made removable through the side walls of the housing, as shown in Figure 4.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the seed stripper comprises two parallel brushes 2 and 3 rotatably mounted in the front end of the housing, transversely thereof, The upper and larger brush 2,

which is rotated counterclockwse, sweeps or whisks the seed heads backward. The lower brush is rotated clockwise. The axis of the lower brush is preferably disposed below and rearwardly of the axis of the upper brush. As shown in Figures l and 2, the tufts of the brushes extend in a' continuous row across the housing. The upper and lower brushes are placed across the opening 210 between the ledge 21| and front end 29 of the seed compartment.

The screen II is placed transversely of said housing. It is supported at its lower end on the rear end of the seed compartment and at its upper end on the ledge 21.

Means may be provided ing the brushes and housing ment for various heights of justing means is commonly example, described in Guyle Patent 1,975,572.

The operation is as follows:

As the machine travels over the rows the for raising and lowerto adjust the implethe plant. Such adthe compartment employed, being for l. A mobile seed harvester comprising 'a housing mobily supported for movement'over the ground, the housing having an inlet opening inthe bottom, the opening extending up the front Y of the housing; a rotary brush mounted in the housing adjacent the opening; asecond rotary brush mounted parallel to the 4iii-s1; brush and rearwardly of the latter, both brushes being positioned adjacent the opening in the bottom, a part of the second brush extending below the first brush, the periphery of thewtwo brushes substantially contacting to whisk the seeds therebe-v tween; means for rotating the upper brush and the lower brush in opposite directions about their axes, the front of the upper brush moving downwardb' at the inlet opening; means for drawing air into said inlet opening and removing it from said housing, to draw the seeds into the housing; and means in the housing for separating the seeds from the air stream.

2. A mobile seed harvester comprising a housing mobily supported for movement over the ground, the housing having an inlet opening in the bottom, the opening extending up the front of the housing; avrotary brush mounted in the 4 housing adjacent `the opening; a, second rotary brush mounted parallel to the flrst brush and brush.

RUSSELL M. RALIP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in -the le ofv this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 498,133 Mauermann May 23, 1893 574,990 Griffin Jan; 12, 1897 1,122,375 Engle Dec. 29, 1914 1,130,847 Schoiield Mar. 9, 1915 1,297,349 Herr Mar. 18, 1919 2,065,721 Mutzbauer Dec. 29, 1936 

